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President Jacob Zuma will address the protesting communities of Vuwani villages on Sunday following a meeting between himself, VhaVenda King Toni Mphephu Ramabulana and Limpopo Premier Stan Mathabatha on Tuesday evening.
Ramabulana sought an audience with Zuma after almost a month of another socioeconomic shutdown in the affected villages in a renewed protest – albeit less violent – over municipal demarcation.
In a joint statement the president and the king’s offices said in that meeting “leaders raised concern about the deteriorating situation in Vuwani and emphasised that urgent steps needed to be taken to normalise the situation”.
“The president and the king appealed to parents to enable learners to return to school while the challenges raised by the community are being addressed. His majesty and the president will this weekend address the public in Vuwani on the decisions that were taken by the meeting to address the Vuwani situation,” the statement read.
Mathabatha’s spokesperson Kenny Mathivha said Mathabatha would attend the gathering.
“We can’t say much because the president and the king will be the ones breaking the news to the community on Sunday. The premier is confident and we’re hoping the shutdown will be lifted and allow us to focus on the rebuilding considering that teaching and learning time has been lost already,” Mathivha said.
Around this time last year, about 15 schools had already been torched or damaged in violent protests which left more than 20 schools in ruins when it ended just after the local government elections in August.
The effect of the protest was felt deeply by pupils who could not attend school for about three months during the shutdown.
The Vuwani community does not want to be part of the new municipal entity known as Lim345, in which they have been clustered together with Malamulele.
They said they would rather remain in Makhado municipality and Thulamela, where they belonged before municipal borders were re-determined.
After hoping that their request would be adhered to, the Municipal Demarcation Board told them recently that they would have to wait for the next submission period to reapply, and this led to the current shutdown.
The community has vowed not to accept any services from Lim345. Community leaders also said they had decided to cut any communication with the government, citing a string of meetings they had had and promises made raising their hopes that they will be appeased, only to be disappointed in the end.
It remains to be seen what Zuma and Ramabulana will bring on Sunday and whether this will bring calm to the situation.
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